With the same flawless storytelling that earned her the CWA Historical Dagger Award for the Joe Sandilands mystery The Damascened Blade, Barbara Cleverly here sweeps us to the island of Crete in 1928 for the debut of her spirited and whip-smart heroine Laetitia "Letty" Talbot, an aspiring archaeologist with a passion for adventure. Her host at the Villa Europa, a charismatic archaeologist, is hoping to dig up the island's next great treasure—even, perhaps, the tomb of Zeus himself. But then a beautiful young woman is found hanged, and a handsome youth drives his Bugatti over a cliff, as past loves and jealousies merge with ancient myths.

"Tucked into the wealth of archaeological and historical detail is a full-blown English house party murder.... With a spirited, intelligent heroine, a glorious exotic setting, a clever plot, loads of archaeological detail and a touch of romance there's nothing not to like in this crisply told first book of a new series."—Denver Post